Published: December 15, 2004

Two Taliban commanders, including a former security chief of the ousted government's fugitive leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, have been arrested, the intelligence chief in Kandahar said. The chief, Abdullah Laghmani, said the men, Mullah Naqvi and Mullah Qayum, were active in the insurgency and believed to be responsible for attacks in the south. He said that Mr. Naqvi was once in charge of security for Mullah Omar in Kandahar, where both men were caught, and that Mr. Qayum served as the Taliban commander in the province. It was unclear if they knew the whereabouts of Mullah Omar.